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Formed: 1958 Established: 1958
La Poudrière
Brussels,
Belgium
 La Poudrière is a French-speaking, income-sharing community of about 60 people living in three locations in Belgium: Brussels, Péruwelz and Rummen, and is a member of the Emmaus International network. We were founded in 1958. The five aims we gradually came to defining for ourselves are: 1. presence among people not sharing our lifestyle (we refuse to cut ourselves off from society), 2. friendship, 3. justice and equity among us and in the world, 4. utopia: hope to help building a new world, and 5. ascesis and personal growth. To realize these aims, we rely on four tools: 1. work; 2. sharing, especially incomes; 3. a simple lifestyle; 4. fidelity to the people and aims of the community.
Members work every working day from 8 am to 17.15 pm in the community business (collecting and reselling old furniture, clothes, etc.), in the various tasks involved by community life (maintenance of our equipments and buildings, office work...), or running our farm in Rummen. A few members have a job outside the community and give their salary to the community; as are, as a rule, all regular incomes. Every member receives € 20,00 a week, but basic needs are provided by the community, including transportation inside the country. Vehicles are shared (to use them, one must be accepted as a community driver by our Monthly Meeting, see below) and fuel is payed by the community.
Assistance to meals on working days, to meetings, and to organized feasts is required. A core group holds a meeting once a month (the Monthly Meeting) to discuss more delicate matters and takes decisions by consensus only. These decisions are submitted to the approval of the whole community at our Spaghetti Meeting, also hold once a month. Some important decisions may be taken directly by the head of the community, Vanni Mocutti, who has been in charge since the death of the foundator, Father Léon Van Hoorde, in 1996.
 
Website: http://www.lapoudriere.org
Contact:

Email This Community!
Last Updated:9/2/2009
 
Visitors Accepted
Visitor Process: Send an e-mail to bruxelles@lapoudriere.be, and we will see.
Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:
Our community does not discriminate in regards to housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex/gender, family status (i.e. having children, not having children, or being pregnant), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income, age, creed, personal appearance, political affiliation, HIV infection, military/veteran status, unfavorable military discharge, gender identity or expression, receiving public assistance, or being the victim of domestic abuse.

Housing in our community is incidental to employment and therefore fair housing laws do not apply (though employment discrimination laws may).

Population
Members(adults and children):
60
(approximately)
Open to new members:
Yes
Government
Decision Making:
Other
Identified Leader:
Yes
Leadership Core Group:
Yes
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
100% income sharing
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
Yes
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(760 h/month)
Join Fee:
No
Regular Fees:
No
Land and Buildings
Other
Land Owned By:
Other
(partly the community, partly landlords)
Number of Residences:
12
Cohousing:
No
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
6-20%
Share Community Meals:
Nearly all meals
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
Tobacco Use:
Prohibited
(allowed in some areas)
Social Factors
Common Spiritual Practices:
No
(A lot of members are Roman Catholic.)
Which Spiritual Traditions(s):
Ecumenical (includes "all religions")
Educational Style(s):
Public schooled
 
 
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